Sara wakes to a sunset that puts any postcard motive to shame.
The pinks and purples match her bruised skin.
It's like the sky is mocking her.
She is too hurt and weak to walk far and find a water source or safe place to stay.
She still isn't even sure if she's on Lian Yu or another island.
Without any tools she fails miserably at hunting, making fire or building a hideout.
She didn't need those skills on the Amazo and later she had been careless enough to just rely on Ollie's and Slade's expertise.
She can't even eat from a bush of berries because she has no idea if they are poisonous or not.
Maybe being a girls scout would be helpful after all.
Not wanting to encounter any of the animals she has heard lurking around their camp during the night the weeks before, Sara somehow manages to climb up a tree.
It's at the edge of the beach and Sara tells herself it's so she can see intruders come and not so she can look out for a ship to rescue her.
It's just her luck that rain pours down during that night.
At first Sara is relieved.
It washes away the dirt and moisturizes her skin.
She can finally move her mouth and tongue without cracking the dried out skin open.
She catches the rain water with a big leave and downs every drop she can.
But her hide out in the tree does little to protect her from the rain and wind.
Soon Sara is drenched.
The freezing rain pierces her skin and crawls into her bones.
Her muscles soon give up on shivering and stiffen into persistent cramps.
She feels like her blood stops flowing, like she might break herself if she moves.
Everything seems to slow down and freeze.
Her body.
Her mind.
Even time.
Even after it stops raining the night seems to drag on for forever.
The last thing Sara remembers is how ashamed she feels for yearning for unconsciousness even though she knows that she probably won't wake up again.
But she does.
And to sunny skies none the less.
Unable to properly move her limps, Sara just lets herself fall from the tree, almost breaking her neck and adding to the gallery of bruises on her body.
Fuck, that hurt.
When the pain from hitting the hard ground lessens, she crawls out of the shade to sit in the sun and thaw her body.
She feels like the cold might never leave her bones.
It takes quite a while to even register the warmth on her skin, even as she watches her blue fingers slowly turn white and then red.
Her skin has split open at her knuckles.
And any other joint for that matter.
Sara just sits in the sun until her skin is flaming red, stretching painfully over her still icy bones.
This is what hell must be like, freezing and burning at the same time. She realizes for the second time in her life.
Sara could try to climb back into the tree with her last strength.
Or try to find a better hide out.
Or look for a water source.
Or hope to stumble upon some berries or fruit she knows.
She could hope that someone will find her.
But what's the point?
It's only a matter of time until she'll die.
Whether it's from dehydration, starving, getting mauled by a wild animal or freezing to death.
So she stay's where she is loosing track of how long it's been since she washed up on the shore as she fades in and out of consciousness
A/N: I feel terrible writing this even though I know it wasn't my idea to put Sara through this, I'm just following canon. Nyssa did say that she found Sara almost starved to death.
But the plot will pick up a bit next chapter, so stay tuned.
Btw, I'll post new chapters every Sunday for the next couple of weeks.